All the Hope in the World
by FeedtheFlames
Summary: Just a short drabble on Arthur's conversation with Gaius in 5x13 and how that conversation gives Gaius hope that Arthur has not lost his trust in Merlin. Spoilers for the ep obviously.


**AN: My 21st birthday is in exactly 50 minutes and so help me I'm going to stay awake to greet it. Lucky for you all I'm using my writing as a tool to accomplish that goal. So here's a short little drabble on something I was thinking about the last episode of Merlin. Hope you enjoy!**

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When Gaius returned to Merlin and Arthur he could see that they were on edge. It was understandable considering the dire circumstances they were in but there was something else he could sense. He wanted to ask Merlin about it but the man was practically panicking so he sent him to feed and water the horses as he settled down next to Arthur to check on his king.

He was startled when Arthur reached up and grabbed his arm.

"He's a sorcerer!" Arthur said quietly but with urgency.

Gaius stared at Arthur gravely, not really knowing what to say, a million things ran through his head, defenses for Merlin, he even thought about denying it but knew there wouldn't be a point. The look in Arthur's eyes, he looked afraid, betrayed, worried. He looked like he didn't know what to think.

"You knew." He said and fell back with a slightly disappointed and dismayed look in his eye.

"Arthur…" Gaius leaned forward. "He's your friend." He had to convince Arthur, had to convince him that Merlin wasn't evil. He had to convince Arthur that Merlin was trustworthy. He didn't know what to say but it seemed like a good place to start.

"I want him gone." Arthur stated in a demanding but resigned tone.

"There is no need to fear him." Gaius tried to assure him. If he couldn't convince Arthur they would have to force him to go with Merlin, and if he survived after that then what would he do to Merlin? Gaius could feel himself worrying slightly, but when didn't he worry?

"Have him take word to Camelot, to Guinevere." Gaius paused for a moment, just a moment, less than a few seconds but those words… those words were more revealing than he thought Arthur realized. Arthur cared more about Guinevere than he did any other person in the whole world, if he was thinking of sending Merlin to her then he must still trust Merlin.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Merlin, or that he thought him evil, the truth was that Arthur was hurt. He was hurt that Merlin had lied to him all these years, he saw a friend that had been lying to him for so long, a person who he thought he had known and now found out he didn't know at all and in a way he had to mourn the loss of his old best friend.

"We cannot send Merlin. I will go." Gaius said even as all these thoughts raced through his head.

"I need a physician right now, not a sorcerer." Arthur continued.

"He can do far more than me, far more than you can ever imagine." Gaius assured the king.

Arthur wasn't really paying attention so Gaius shifted a little closer. "Arthur, he doesn't just have magic." Gaius paused long enough for Arthur to turn his attention back to him. "There are those who say he's the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the Earth." He let the words sink in.

"_Mer_lin?" Arthur asked and Gaius almost smiled at the familiar tone Arthur used when he couldn't believe that his manservant had any skills whatsoever.

"If you are to stand any chance of survival, you'll need _Mer_lin to help you, not me." Gaius said using the same emphasis on Merlin's name. He watched Arthur and saw as he looked over at Merlin and suddenly he could see in his eyes that Merlin wasn't just hiding a secret to protect himself, that there was far more to this story than Arthur ever knew.

Gaius was surprised but by the time he left that conversation with Arthur he realized he was far more hopeful than he had ever been before. Arthur hadn't yet accepted Merlin for who he was but there was all the hope in the world that he would, after all these years, it was about time.

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**AN: So in case you didn't figure it out already I was watching the last episode and noticed that Arthur tried to send Merlin back to Guinevere. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't trust Merlin, so I decided to write a short drabble about that particular fact.**

**Hope you enjoyed… still not my birthday… guess I'll have to write something else **

**God bless!**


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